Car-seal.



1. A. OCONNOR & E. FITZGERALD. CAR SEAL.

APPLICATION FILED J-ULY 8,1914.

Patented Aug. 10, 1915.

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COLUMBIA PLANDGRAFH c0.. WASHINGTON. D. c.

'- PATENT OFFIGE.

JEREMIAH OfCONNOR AND EDWARD FITZGERALD, OF CHICAGO, ILLINOIS.

CAR-SEAL.

Specification of Letters Patent. Patented Aug, 10 1915 Application filed.- July 8,1914. Serial N 0. 849,670.

To all whom it may concern:

Be it known that we, JEREMIAH A. OCoN- NOR and EDWARD Frrzenneno, citlzens of the United States, and residents of the city of to break the seal without detection by theinspector.

Other objects will appear hereinafter. With these objects in view, our invention consists in the combinations and arrangements of. parts hereinafter described and claimed,

The invention will be best understood by reference to the accompanying drawing forming a part of this specificaton, and in which,

Figure 1 is a top plan view of the blank from which the seal is formed, Fig. 2 is a central section through the seal, in operative condition, and Fig. 3 is a section taken on line 00-w of Fig. 2.

v The preferred form of construction, as illustrated in the drawing, comprises a seal consisting of an elongated metallic strip 1 adapted to be folded or bent upon itself, as clearly shown in Fig. 2, so as to bring the ends thereof together. One end 2 of the strip 1 is formed with a longitudinal exten sion 3 and laterally projecting portions 4 and 5, the portions 3, 4 and 5 being formed integral with said end 2. The portions 2, 3, 4 and 5 form a socket at one end of strip 1, the portions 3, 4 and 5 being folded upon each other in superimposed relation in the formation of the socket,.as clearly shown in Figs. 2 and 3, In this folding of said portions 3, 4 and 5' upon each other, the portion. 4 is positioned innermost, the portion 3 outermost, and the portion 5 is intermediately positioned. The free end of portion 3 is, formed with an outwardly projecting ear 6 adapted, when said portions are folded into superimposed relation, to engage with a slot 7 formed in the body of strip 1 and be clenchedv upon the underside of the latter in.

order tolock the parts in operative relation,

as will be readily understood. 7 The outer end of portion 3 is also formed with a flange or lnwardly bent portion 8 in which is formed anelongated slot9 which constitutes the mouth of the socket; Said socket is adapted for engagement by. the opposite end. 10 of strip 1, the mouth 9 of said socket being of a width adapting the same tosnugly receive said strip end 10.

Formed in the strip end 10 are two spaced openings 11 adapted, upon insertion of said.

strip end into said socket, to beengagedby inwardly projecting ears 12 and 13 formed respectively in the portions 2'and 4 by being pressed or stamped therefrom, as clearly shown in Figs. 1 and 2. Theportions 2 and 4 are also formed with humps. or beads 14 and 15. which project inwardly into the socket for engagement with opposite sides of the strip end 10 in order to pressthe latter toward the engaging fingers l2 and13 and thereby insure engagement of the openings 11 with said engaging fingers upon insertion of the strip end 10 into the socket, The forward edges of the portions 4and 5' are formed with downwardly or. inwardly turned flanges 16 for reinforcement, I

The portions of the strip 1 adjacent the ends 2 and 10 thereof are of greater width than the slot or socket opening 9 or the end 10 ofsaid strip. which is adapted for snug. engagement with said socket. Saidlwidened portions are formed with slots 17 are of a width equal substantially to, or greater than the width of said socket mouth or strip end 10, so that in the event of the unauthorized breaking ofthe stripl, adjacent the socket, with a view to inserting the severed end into said socket, it will be impossible to out the broken strip enddown to a width whichwill permit theinsertion thereofinto the opening 9 without intersecting the slots 1.00

17 This being so, it will be seen th at cutting down of the strip end, witha View to inserting the same into the socket, would simply result in shortening the strip to. an extent beyond the slots 17. .Said slots are distinctively formed and distinctively arranged as shown, so as to positively prevent the repair of a broken seal through the formation of anew tongue in the portion of the stripnear the socket to serve to apprisethe inspector of their omission or absence in the event of the sealing strip being tampered with, as above mentioned.

Vith sealing devices of the construction in general use at the present time, it frequently occurs that unauthorized persons break the same close to the socket of the dition of the seal, as is frequently the case.-

With a seal of the present construction, such manipulation is rendered impossible not merely because an inspector would be bound to notice the omission of the slots 17 provided at the opposite ends of the strip adjacent the socket but because the disposition and width of slots 17 (which cover a considerable portion of the strip, extend transversely across it, and are of a width at least equal to that of member 10) would make impossible the forming of a tongue member without cutting off a considerable portion of the strip. Therefore, with a seal of the present construction, the unauthorized breaking thereof without detection is rendered impossible. Also, through the provision of the slots 17, the strip 1 is weakened at these points so as to permit of ready breaking thereof when it is desired to lawfully remove the seal. Further, with a construction as set forth, it will be seen, that a seal is produced which is formed of a single piece of material which may be stamped from sheet metal and bent into operative form readily and easily. A seal is thus provided which, because of its simplicity and one-piece formation, may be manufactured at a low cost.

We have illustrated and described the pre ferred form of construction for carrying our invention into effect. We, therefore, do not wish to be limited to the precise details of construction set forth, but desire to avail ourselves of such variations and modifications as come within the scope of the appended claims.

Having described our invention what we claim as new and desire to secure by Letters Patent is:

1. A seal comprising an elongated strip, a longitudinally extending portion, lateral portion of substantially equal width with the socket adapted to be folded in overlapping relation to form the inner members of the socket, a longitudinally extending strip folded outermost over the lateral portions and having a slotted flanged end adapted to permit of the insertion of the tongue of the strip into the socket, means within the socket adapted to reversely lock the tongue from spaced opposite sides of the socket and extending into the extreme tapered portion of the socket upon insertion therein, whereby to prevent tampering without breaking the seal.

2. In combination with a socket casing and integrally related thereto a car seal shackle consisting of an elongated strip hav ing widened transversely slotted end portions substantially equal-to the socket casing in length and having the slots therein of not less width than the shackle strip.

3. A seal comprising an elongated strip; a socket provided at one end of said strip adapted to snugly receive the opposite end of said strip; means for automatically look ing said last mentioned end of said strip in engagement with said socket upon insertion thereof into said socket, the portion of said strip adjacent the end thereof adapted for engagement with said socket, being of greater width than the engaging end thereof, said wider portion being slotted, transversely, the slots extending into lines parallel with the main portion of the shackle.

at. In a car seal, the combination of a shackle, means integral with the shackle forming'a socket and catch, widened portions at opposite ends of the shackle, each having a plurality of transversely disposed slots of substantially equal width with adjoining portions of the shackle, and a shackle tongue adapted for insertion into and engagement with the socket, the shackle strip having a slot adjacent the socket of less width than the slots in the widened portion of the shackle, substantially as shown.

5. A seal comprising an elongated strip; a socket provided at one end of said strip adapted to snugly receive the opposite end of said strip; means for automatically lock ing said last mentioned end of said strip in engagement with said socket upon insertion thereof into said socket, said portions of said strip adjacent said socket, when the ends of said strip are locked together, being of greater width than the mouth of said socket or the engaging end of said strip, said wider strip portions having slots therein of a width not less than the width of said socket mouth or engaging strip end,

substantially as described.

6. A car seal comprising an elongated shackle strip, a longitudinally extending portion and lateral portions at one end of said strip, the lateral portions bent into superposed relation, the longitudinally extending portion bent over the lateral portions in relative superposed position, an inwardly bent slotted flange member at the a free end of the longitudinally extending portion, an car on the outer edge of that flange member to engage a slot in the base portion of the socket to retain all socket members in fixed position prior to insertion of free end of the shackle into the socket to lock the seal; and automatic socket locking means engageable with the above-mentioned free end upon its insertion into the socket.

7. A seal comprising an elongated strip; a longitudinally extending portion; lateral portions projecting therefrom adapted to be bent into superimposed relation; a longitudinal extension bent back over the lateral portions; means for securing the socket forming members in engagement in the relation set forth; an end flange-like portion on the longitudinal extension bent inward to complete the socket and substantially space the socket members apart at the head of the socket the aforesaid member having a slot forming the mouth to the socket for the reception of the end of the strip to lock the seal; and means automatically operative on insertion of the strip end to engage same in locked relation within the socket when inserted therein.

8. A seal comprising an elongated strip having a plurality of transversely disposed slots near the end portions thereof; a socket at one end of said strip, having a slot opening thereinto of less width than the transverse slots in the elongated strip; a tongue member formed on the free end of the elongated strip adapted to -snugly fit into the aforesaid slot upon insertion into the socket, whereby to prevent the repair of a seal by reinsertion of a broken elongated strip into the socket.

9. A seal comprising an elongated strip;

a longitudinally extending portion; lateral portions projecting therefrom adapted to be bent into superimposed relation; a longitudinal extension bent over the lateral portions; a flange end on the longitudinal extension havinr a slot therein forming the mouth to the socket for the reception of the end of the strip to lock the seal; an car on the aforesaid flange end adapted to engage a slot in the strip to retain the socket forming members in their superimposed relation prior to the insertion of the strip end; and oppositely disposed means within the socket for automatically catching the strip end upon its insertion through the hereinbefore mentioned slot in the flange end, substantially as set forth.

10. In a car seal, in combination with a socket casing, a shackle strip having end portions wider than the body of the strip and having a plurality of transversely disposed slots in the widened end portions adjacent the socket, of a width not less than that of the body of the shackle strip.

In testimony whereof we have signed our names to this specification in the presence of two subscribing witnesses.

JEREMIAH A. OCONNOR. EDWARD FITZGERALD.

Witnesses:

J OSHUA G. H. Po'r'rs, HELEN F. LILLIs.

Copies of this patent may be obtained for five cents each, hy addressing the Commissioner of Patents, Washington, D. 0. 

